No fewer than nine bodies, including two women and seven men, have been recovered following a tragic boat accident that occurred in Gbajibo, Niger State.
The victims were among 300 passengers travelling from Mundi Community to attend the Maulid celebration at Gbajibo on Tuesday night when the boat capsized.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that 150 passengers were immediately rescued, while another 150 remain unaccounted for.
The boat was mostly carrying women and children.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, NSEMA Director General Abdullahi Baba-Arah stated that search and rescue activities were still ongoing as efforts were made to recover more victims from the river.
“Nine corpses have been recovered in the Gbajibo boat accident. Two females and seven men,” Baba-Arah said in a brief update.
He went on to say that the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on October 1, 2024, on the River Niger, upstream from the Jebba Dam in Mokwa Local Government Area.
“The boat was carrying nearly 300 passengers, mostly women and children, from Mundi Community for the Maulid celebration in Gbajibo,” he added.
NSEMA, in partnership with the State Ministry of Transport, the Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and community volunteers, is directing and monitoring the ongoing search and rescue operations.
As families and the community await more information, the tragedy emphasises the hazards of overcrowded boats and the urgent need for stricter safety procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
